Kelly Reichardt, the iconic female filmmaker in American indie cinema, captures 19th-century American Northwest on the screen. When Cookie, a chef traveling with fur trappers, meets a buck-naked Chinese man named King-Lu, who is on the run for homicide, he offers Lu clothes and shelter for the night. The two meet again by chance and decide to collaborate by stealing milk to bake cakes, which become instantly popular. The movie opens with a line from William Blake’s poem: “The bird a nest, the spider a web, man friendship.” Portraying a friendship between men Reichardt delivers a delicate sentiment unique to her films. (NAM Dong-chul)